Scholars Reexamine 'Varieties of Religious Experience' in Centennial Year

During the Center for the Study of Science's March 24-25 conference, leading scholars reexamined William James' "The Varieties of Religious Experience" on the centennial of its publication. Richard Rorty, professor of comparative literature at Stanford, said that James' classic work presents clashing definitions of religious experience. The conference, sponsored by the John Templeton Foundation as part of the Templeton Research Lectures on the Constructive Engagement of Science and Religion, is part of the Columbia Center's public program examining the boundaries between science and religion. A complete video record of the conference, including talks by Jerome Bruner, David Hollinger, Wayne Proudfoot and Ann Taves, will be available on the Center's website.